October 25th is a’comin’ quick!

Have you heard? There’s going to be a municipal election!!!

No, no, not just for the position of Mayor of Toronto! I know that’s the impression you’d have from the main stream media, but there’s an election coming in whatever town you live in as well!  (Well, if you are reading this from Ontario, that is.)

So the question is, do you know who is running in your town?  For Mayor? For Council? School Board Trustee?

Here in Aurora, the list of registered candidates can be found here.

With less than two months to go, I’m starting to educate myself on who all of these candidates are, why they are running, and their credentials for the office. I still need to find out when the local debates will be, perhaps look up some opportunities to hear these candidates speak to a crowd, and also see if I can ask them a question or two.

So far I’ve sat down with Geoff Dawe one night after work and Nigel Kean came by my door the other evening and we had a not-s0 brief conversation.  I have not yet met Roger Clowater and, of course, I know Phyllis from the last election and the 4 years in between, so we don’t really need to talk.  But I sure would like to hear her views on the goings on in Council over the past 4 years and how she justifies that vs the decorum I expected when she was elected. Don’t know about you, but I’ve felt pretty let down for the past 4 years.  I’ll have to find an opportunity to hear her address that.

BTW, does anyone know what Phyllis is using for a campaign website, ’cause I couldn’t find one?

And I’m just getting started on looking up the people running for Council.

Given the opportunity, I’d like to have a conversation with each of these candidates for Mayor and Council, an question them on how they think the town might move foward given the upcoming energy-constrained future. I’d want to know their vision on infill development, transportation, pedestrian priority, bike lanes and facilities, walkable communities, the farmers market, community gardens, the list goes on and on.

That’s a lot of research to do between now and October 25! I’d better get started!

Anyway, the ballot box is coming your way October 25, and I hope you all get an opportunity to find out more about who is running to lead your town for the next 4 years, so that you can make an informed decision.

(For those that are counting, you may have noted that I’m just assuming all of my readers will be voting. Nuff said.)